Rotating Compressor Valve Uniform Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Poppet valves in reciprocating compressors experience operational inefficiencies, including spring fatigue and non-uniform actuation at high compressor speeds, leading to pressure losses and reduced efficiency, with a potential drop in overall compressor efficiency of 8-10%.
Innovation Solution
The use of a rotating compressor valve with stationary and rotating plates, featuring aligned slots for fluid flow, chamfered edges for smooth passage, and babbitt and brush seals to minimize leakage, synchronized with compression cycles to maintain efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If poppet valves are used to control fluid flow in reciprocating compressors, then the valve structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the valve experiences spring fatigue and non-uniform actuation at high compressor speeds, leading to pressure losses and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static poppet valve structure into a dynamic rotating valve assembly where the valve plate rotates to open and close flow passages. This dynamic rotation eliminates spring fatigue issues and ensures uniform actuation across all valves, as the rotation is driven by the compressor's own motion rather than independent spring mechanisms for each valve.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple individual valve functions into a single integrated rotating valve plate that controls all suction and discharge passages simultaneously. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate poppet valves with their own springs, reducing overall complexity while improving reliability through uniform rotational actuation of all flow passages.
2Productivity
If poppet valves operate at high compressor speeds, then the compressor productivity increases, but the valves experience spring fatigue and non-uniform actuation, causing pressure losses and 8-10% efficiency drop
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating valve plate is driven dynamically by the compressor's piston motion, allowing the valve to operate in synchrony with the compression cycle at high speeds without spring fatigue. The rotational inertia of the valve plate ensures smooth, uniform opening and closing of all passages, eliminating the pressure losses and energy inefficiencies associated with high-speed poppet valve operation.
3Reliability
If a rotating valve plate with slots is used instead of poppet valves, then uniform actuation and reduced aerodynamic losses are achieved, but the device complexity increases with multiple plates and sealing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the valve body, flow passages, and actuation mechanism into a single rotating valve plate assembly that integrates with the compressor cylinder. This integration reduces the number of separate components compared to multiple poppet valves and their mounting structures, while the simple rotational motion provides uniform actuation without complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating valve plate serves as an intermediary component that translates the linear piston motion into rotational valve actuation. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the overall system by providing a single point of rotational motion that controls all flow passages, replacing multiple independent spring-loaded poppet valve mechanisms.
4Productivity
If the rotating plate rotates continuously to synchronize with compression cycles, then efficient fluid flow control is maintained, but leakage between the rotating and stationary plates increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible seal elements, including brush seals and thin film seals, between the rotating valve plate and stationary housing. These flexible sealing structures conform to the rotating surface and maintain effective seals throughout the continuous rotation, preventing fluid leakage while allowing the valve to synchronize with compression cycles at high speeds.
Data Source
AI summary
As described in detail below, the disclosed embodiments include a rotating compressor valve having stationary front and rear plates (e.g., guards) and a rotating plate configured to rotate relative to the stationary front and rear plates. The stationary front and rear plates and the rotating plate all include a plurality of slots which, when aligned, allow a process fluid (e.g., natural gas) to flow through the rotating compressor valve. In certain embodiments, the slots of the rotating plate include an arc radius that is smaller than an arc radius of the slots of the stationary front and rear plates.